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Clearlake - 'Cedars' (Domino)
Clearlake have always been daydreamers, whether distracted by weird colours of light or by the prospect of jumble sales, soundtracking these thoughts with alternate guitar barrage and organ waves. Two years after that small delight of a debut, 'Lido', the four return with a less whimsical worldview. But in spite of their romance with small happenings ("I wonder if the snow will settle?"), it seems that their glass will always be half-empty.
Opener and single 'Almost the Same' is tuneful guitar pop with a gentle punch that just isn't made anymore, an upbeat, bite-size slice of life. But when this everyday reflection becomes less clear, more pessimistic, it's perhaps more self-indulgent. There are some rather nice thoughts here - 'Wonder if The Snow will Settle' the little blues in 'Just Off the Coast' - but even the second track in hints that Clearlake have gained better production (courtesy of Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde) without much better ideas. 'The Mind is Evil' sets Britpop orchestration to queasy psychology, melodramatic without being entertaining - a Divine Comedy lacking humour and sadness. Even the chuggier songs are quite leaden. 'Come into the Darkness' has a nice dirty sound, obscured by dull intonations. 'It's All Too Much' has so little tune; it's often hard to listen to.
Some people get into the rock business to pull girls. Clearlake obviously didn't, they sing "I'd really like to hurt you" (resurrecting Blur's 'Death of a Party'). They make music, therefore, to express themselves, but if their listeners don't share such glumness, 'Cedars' won't be found too accessible. If the band previously looked nostalgically, through rose-tinted specs, they now look at the world through a half-empty glass. Book ended by 'Almost the Same' and its understatedly slight flipside, the Robert-Wyatt style 'Trees in the City', at least the album is half-full.
